F-ANT-astic: The ant army shows off its teamwork, building a bridge against the backdrop of a glowing sunset. Photographer Andrey Pavlov hopes his pictures will form a bridge between reality and the world of fairytales

Is this real life? No, it's a beautiful f-ANT-asy.These incredible pictures depict the imaginary antics of the humble ant, and could have been lifted from the pages of a fairy story.In fact, they were shot by Russian photographer Andrey Pavlov, who spent hours setting up the scenes.

Bringing in the harvest: While Mr Pavlov spends hours creating scenes for the insects to inhabit, he says the natural curiosity of ants helps his work enormously

The intriguing insects are pictured carrying out a variety of unusual tasks, from sewing to weightlifting.Mr Pavlov shot the images at an anthill just metres from his home in Moscow, Russia.The snapper explained: 'For the last seven years I have always had my camera with me, but it was only when I had children and started reading them fairytales that I realised it was something I never did as a child.

Heave! The amazing creatures can't resist checking out the props, and look exactly like they're on a team fishing tip

'That's when I decided to make up for it and start creating some fairytales of my own.'I used to work in theatre which was a big help when it came to making props, and I chose ants because I respect them and their way of life.'They care about their children and look after the elderly. They have lived for millions of years.'I take my inspiration from humans but luckily for me ants are quite inquisitive, which seems to make them very willing participants.'

Timeless: The amazing detail and unlikely juxtapositions give Mr Pavlov's pictures a make-believe feel - though of course, the ants are real

It's an ant's life: Shot in close-up, the insects on the left could be fighting - or passing something between them. On the right, an adult ant is seen carrying a youngster.

How do you drive this thing? The ants may be pondering how to transport the juicy morsel planted by the photographer, who says his prop-making skills come from his background in theatre